a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles that, when attached to a vehicle such as one-box car or recreational vehicle, allows it to view and perceive in a predetermined field around a desired direction by means of the reflection of a mirror body, and makes it possible to change the direction of view by changing the angle of the mirror body through remote control, and particularly to a remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles that is free from obstacles to the view associated with the adjustment of the mirror body angle and is capable of ensuring wider field of view.
b) Description of the Prior Art
A remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles of the prior art comprises, as shown in FIG. 1, a stay 100 one end of which is attached to a vehicle body, a mirror housing 102 fastened on the other end of the stay 100, a power unit 103 mounted as an angle adjusting mechanism in the mirror housing 102, a mirror holder (back board) 104 attached, to be capable of adjusting the angle thereof, to the power unit 103 via a pivot mechanism 105 and an advance-retract rod 106, and a mirror body 101 held on the mirror holder 104.
An example of the remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles described above is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H8-26031. The remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles disclosed in this publication is used as side mirrors for heavy duty vehicles such as truck and bus, and is attached to the vehicle body via a cylindrical support arm instead of the stay 100.
The mirror body 101 is limited in size so as not to obstruct the field of view when a driver looks back directly. But even when the mirror body 101 is limited in size, a wide field of view can be ensured by decreasing the radius of curvature of the reflecting surface.
The above mentioned power unit 103 is provided with, in addition to the advance-retract rod 106 for vertical adjustment shown in the drawings, an advance-retract rod for horizontal adjustment, for example, not shown.
An example of application of the remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles of the prior art mentioned above will now be described below with reference to FIG. 2 through FIG. 4.
In this application, the remote-controlled mirror apparatus is used as an electrically powered and remote-controlled rear under mirror apparatus for automobiles, being mounted by attaching an end of the stay 100 on the rear top of a vehicle body such as one-box car or recreational vehicle C.
The remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles enables it to view a range indicated by dashed line in a lower portion at the back of vehicle C such as one-box car or recreational vehicle, from the eye point E.P. of the driver via the mirror body 101. Namely, it becomes possible to view and perceive within a predetermined field around a desired direction by means of the reflection of the mirror body 101.
When the advance-retract rod 106 for vertical adjustment is moved forward by the power unit 103, the mirror body 101 is driven via the mirror holder 104 to tilt down (position indicated by alternate dot and dash line in FIG. 1) about a horizontal axis (line connecting the center of the pivot mechanism 105 and the center of the advance-retract rod for horizontal adjustment). This changes the field of view (range which can be viewed and perceived) in a lower portion at the back of vehicle C such as one-box car or recreational vehicle from that indicated by dashed line in FIG. 2 to that indicated by alternate dot and dash line in FIG. 2. That is, viewing direction is changed to backward.
When the advance-retract rod 106 for vertical adjustment is moved backward, the mirror body 101 tilts upward (position indicated by alternate double-dot and dash line in FIG. 1) about the horizontal axis and the field of view changes from that indicated by dashed line in FIG. 2 to that indicated by alternate double-dot and dash line in FIG. 2, and the viewing direction changes to forward.
Further, when the advance-retract rod for horizontal adjustment is moved forward (or backward), the mirror body 101 tilts to the left about a vertical axis (line connecting the center of the pivot mechanism 105 and the center of the advance-retract rod 106 for vertical adjustment), and the field of view changes from that indicated by dashed line in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 to that indicated by alternate dot and dash line in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, so that the viewing direction changes to the left.
Also when the advance-retract rod for horizontal adjustment is moved backward (or forward), the mirror body 101 tilts to the right about the vertical axis, and the field of view changes from that indicated by dashed line in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 to that indicated by alternate double-dot and dash line in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, so that the viewing direction changes to the right.
However, in the remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles of the prior art described above, the mirror housing 102 that houses the power unit 103 is located along with the power unit 103 and the stay 100 on the fixed side, while the mirror body 101 is located along with the mirror holder 104 on the tilting side that tilts with respect to the fixed side, as shown in FIG. 1. As a result, when the mirror body 101 is tilted with respect to the mirror housing 102, edge of the mirror body 101 may come inside the opening edge of the mirror housing 102. For example, when the mirror body 101 is tilted downward as indicated by alternate dot and dash line in FIG. 1, lower edge of the mirror body 101 comes inside the lower opening edge of the mirror housing 102. When the mirror body 101 is tilted upward as indicated by alternate double-dot and dash line in FIG. 1, upper edge of the mirror body 101 comes inside the upper opening edge of the mirror housing 102. In case the edge of the mirror body 101 comes inside the opening edge of the mirror housing 102, the opening edge of the mirror housing 102 may be reflected on the mirror body 101 and make an obstacle to the view. Obstruction to the view when adjusting the angle of the mirror body 101 becomes conspicuous particularly in the case of the mirror body 101 having a small radius of curvature.